LONGVIEW, Texas — Editor's Note: Video above from July 22, 2022.
For the last two weeks, eight firefighters from the Longview Fire Department have been fighting wildfires across the state.
Longview Fire Marshal Kevin May said four of the eight Longview firefighters have returned from fighting the wildfires in Big Springs. The other four have been stationed to control the fire that originally began in Palo Pinto County.
Firefighters across the state are requested from the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System to help during a natural disaster. TIFMAS is a program managed by the Texas A&M Forest Service that responds to natural disasters, such as flooding, hurricanes, and wildfire outbreaks across Texas.
In July, four firefighters were sent across Texas to fight wildfires. One was sent to Longview; one was sent to Nacogdoches; and two were sent to Palo Pinto County, where the wildfire destroyed homes across a 500-acre radius.